You need some beautiful drapes, rug, and some accent colors. I have 2 light beige sofas in my living room and the carpet is about the same color as the sofas (already there--not my choice). I painted the walls a silvery gray and my accent colors are white, black and burgundy. Even though I also have carpet, I purchased a gorgeous rug that is placed between the 2 sofas for color. I will eventually be making burgundy drapes and make pillow covers out of burgundy, cream, and black Japanese fabrics. Here is what my rug looks like:

It is a painting technique and really like the idea of white, how do I pick a color that does not clash with the fireplace or window trim, ceiling, etc. I don't want to add anything, (crown molding) ..I love the windows and don't want to take away from them, really like a clean, simple and sharp look, my decorating style is coastal. Thank you so much pricklypearcactus, I would have never thought of that. (would hate to have pinkish cabinets, my husband would kill me! Navajo white, I'll check that out....thanks everyone! (Move in is August 1st and our painter is coming then and paint, due to him painting and our kids coming in from out of state to help us move, don't have the timing to reflect on color after all the prior family's furnishings are out.

Can you share your budget for changes? Your kitchen is very pretty, but I can see how insufficient lighting and dark cabinets could be frustrating. (I love the cabinets by the way.) I do think some brushed nickel hardware can add a bit of bright jewelry to your kitchen, but it won't make a big difference in the overall brightness of the space. In terms of lighting, I think megs1030's suggestion for under cabinet lighting is a great one. That would probably make a pretty substantial difference. Consider hiring an electrician to add recessed lighting in the ceiling. It kind of looks like there might already be one fixture near your ovens. You could consider painting the walls a lighter color. What you have now looks really nice with the finishes, but it's a mid-tone color so something light would bring some more brightness to the space. You could replace your countertops with something much brighter - closer to white. Obviously that would be a substantial cost to replace what are already lovely countertops just to bring more brightness to the space. Probably much more cost effective to just add lighting. One more suggestion that is a bit of a personal choice: you have a lot of items on your countertops. It's not messy or cluttered in any way, but there are a lot of items that could be tucked away potentially. I find my kitchen looks brighter when the countertops are almost completely clear. Put your knives in a drawer instead of a countertop block. Put whatever appliance that is over the dishwasher into the pantry. Put the oils into the pantry or in a cabinet. Obviously this changes the function of your kitchen so it may not be for you.

You do have alot of light in this room. I love the pics and suggestions everyone has posted. It is a large room with all the wrong furniture. The ceiling is beautiful and it would be awful to paint it. I too own a log cabin and there never seems to be enough lighting. Without white ceiling or white walls light does not reflect. It just seems to get absorbed and the larger the room the more difficult it is to light. Are the ceiling fans necessary? Do you have central air? What is your climate like? If you find that you dont use them can you switch them out for a track light or directional light?